Burial-vault.



' PATENTED JAN.13, 190s. A. J. BRIGHT .BURIAL-VAULT. APPLIpATIoF I" UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN J. BRIGHT, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORV OF ONE-HALF TO LEWIS BAKER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

BU RlAL-VAU LT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,420, dated January 13, 1903. Application filed June 11, 1902. Serial No. 111,215. (No model.)

' zen of the United States, residing at Dayton,

in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Burial- 4 Vault, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to burial-vaults, and has for its object the production of a vault formed of interlocking slabs of cement, stone,

or other similar suitable material, with pe-' culiarly-formed interlocking corners and with means for sealing the joints with cement bonds and the invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a vault constructed according to the improved method. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the slabs forming the side or end; and Fig.3 is a similar View of the adjacent end or side, illustrating the manner of forming the corner-lock. Fig; 4: is an enlarged detail of the metal clamping device for the corners. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail illustrating the manner of connecting the top to the sides and ends.

The Vault willbe made up of a series of slabs of cement, stone, either artificial or natural, or, under certaincircumstauces, of metal, but will preferably be made of artificial stone or cement. Any number of the slabs may be employed, but generallyit will be formed of six pieces, the top and bottom each in one piece and the sides and ends each in a single piece. I

The bottom of the vault is represented at 10 and the top at 11, the sides at 12 and the ends at 13.

Only one of the ends is shown; but it will be understood that the ends are precisely alike and interchangeable, while the sides are also precisely alike and interchangeable.

The vault will generally be constructed oblong and of a size to contain the casket, but may be made of any desired size.

The bottom 10 will be formed with an upwardly-extended rib 14:, adapted to interme diately engage the lower edges of the sides and ends, the lower inner edges of the sides being formed with recesses 15, the lower edge of the recesses meeting the inner faces of the ribs 14: and forming a groove, preferably semicircular in shape, asindicated in Fig. 1. By this means the sides and ends will closely engage the bottom 10, and the joint between them formed with a plurality of angles, whereby the parts are more easily adjusted and assembled.

The lower inner edges of the ends 13 and the sides 12 will be formed with recesses 15, so that when the'sides and ends are set in place upon the rim 14, a cavity will be left entirely-around theinside of the vault at the bottom, between the bottom, sides, and ends,

and thiscavity will be filled with cement in I a plastic state, as indicated at 16 in Fig. 1, so that when it becomes set it will unite with the material of the vault and firmly secure these parts together, thereby forming a continuous bond between the sides and the bottom and the ends and the bottom.

At their ends the sides 12 are formed with vertical projections 17, extending from their lower edges about one-half the distance of the width of the side, and the ends of the end pieces 13 of the vault will be formed with vertical projections 18, extending from their upper edges downward and corresponding to and adapted to engage the projections 17 when the sides and ends are placed in position,-as indicated in Fig. 1.

The ends ofthe sides 12 will be provided with vertical ribs 19 between the projections 17 and the top edge of each of the sides, while the projection 18 will be provided with a corresponding cavity 20, adaptedto engage the rib 19 when the parts are united.

Each of the ends of the end pieces 13 will be provided with a rib 21, between the projections 18 and the lower edges of the ends 13, while each of the projections 17 will be provided with a corresponding recess 22, adapted to engage the adjacent rib 21 when the parts are connected. By this simple means an interlocking corner is formed between the parts 12 and 13 at each corner of .the vault, which largely increases the engag- IQlD tightly together and renders it impossible to move the sides upward from the ends, especially if the relative positions of the projections 17 and 18 are reversed at the alternate corners-that is to say, if the projection 17, upon the side 12 at one end be placed at the lower edge and the corresponding projection at the other end be placed at the upper edge and the corresponding projections on the ends similarly reversed in position.

The vertical inner corners of the ends and sides 13 and 12 are formed with cavities 23 and. 24, respectively, similar to the cavities 15 in their lower edges, so that when the parts are united, as in Fig. 1, vertical channels or recesses are formed in the inner vertical corners of the vault, adapted to receive cement bonds 25, by which means the parts are firmly bound together at their corners, so that after the parts of the vault are united and bonded by the cement fillet-s 16 and 25 it practically becomes one solid piece.

In the upper edges of the sides and ends are formed longitudinal grooves 26, and in the cover 11 in its edges are formed corresponding grooves 27.

The edges of the cover 11 extend only to the inner edges of the channels 26, so that the channels are in line with the outer edges of the cover, as indicated in Fig. 5. This leaves an angular cavity between the cover and the body of the vault, which cavity will be filled with cement, preferably rounded off on the exterior to make a finish to the top of the vault, the cement filling entering the channels 26 and 27 and forming a complete bond between the cover and the body of the vault.

The cement filling between the cover and the body of the vault is indicated at 28 and will unite with the material of the vault similar to the bond-fillets 16 and 25. By this means the whole vault will be firmly locked togetherand form an air-tight moisture-proof receptacle for the casket and which will also effectually resist any surreptitious tampering with its contents.

As a further means of securing the parts together metal eyes (indicated at 30) may be cast or otherwise inserted at suitable intervals in the slabs within the cavities 15, 23, and 26 and projectinginto these cavities and adapted to be engaged by binding-rods 29,the eyes and the binding-rods adapted to be covered and entirely concealed by the cement fillets, so that their location will not be visible. This greatly strengthens the union between the parts and does not add materially to the weight or expense.

As many of the eyes or loops 30 may be employed as may be required, and they may be inserted at any desired point in the cavities or in all or a portion only of the cavities; but for the purpose of illustration they are shown only between the cover 11 and one of the sides 12.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a burial-vault, a bottom slab having an upwardly-extended rib around its edges, side and end slabs having recesses corresponding to and engaging said ribs, and with cavities in their lower inner corners, metal loops embedded in said slabs within said recesses and within said bottom slab adjacent thereto and extending into said cavities, bindingclips engaging the adjacent opposite loops, and a cement filling within said cavity and inclosing said loops and binding-clips, substantially as described.

2. In a burial-vault, side and end slabs engaged by their adjacent ends and with cavities in the inner corners whereby recesses are formed opening into the interior of the vault when the parts are united, metal loops secured in said slabs within said cavities in adjacent relations, clips uniting said adjacent loops, and a cement filling engaging said recesses and inclosing said loops and clips, substantially as described.

3. In a burial-vault, the side and end slabs having reversely-disposed projections adapted to be superimposed the one upon the other when the parts are united, said slabs having vertical ribs upon their ends and said projections having vertical grooves therein adapted to engage said ribs, and cavities in the inner corners of the ends of said slabs, and a cement filling for said cavities, substantially as described.

4. In a burial-vault, a bottom slab, side and end slabs engaging said bottom slab, the adjacent ends of said side and end slabs having reversely-disposed projections adapted to be superimposed the one upon the other when the parts are united and with Vertical ribs upon said slabs and corresponding Vertical grooves within said projections engaging said ribs, whereby the corners of the slabs are interlocked, substantially as described.

5. In a burial-vault, the side and end slabs having reversely-disposed projections adapted to be superimposed the one upon the other when the parts are united, said slabs having vertical ribs upon their ends, and said projections having vertical grooves therein adapted to engage said ribs, substantially as described.

6. In a burial vault, side and end slabs united at their ends and with longitudinal channels in their upper edges, the cover-slab engaging said side and end slabs with its outer edges in alinement with the inner edges of said channel, metal loops extending from the edges of said cover-slab, and corresponding metal loops extending from said side and end slabs within said channel, and clips engaging the adjacent loops, and a cement filling between the upper edges of said side and end slabs, and the outer edges of said cover-slab, and inclosing said loops and clips, substantially as described.

7. In a burial-vault-, the side and end slabs having longitudinal channels in their upper edges and with reversely-disposed projections on their ends adapted to be superimposed the and within said channel, substantially as deone upon the other when the parts are united, scribed.

said slabs having vertical ribs upon their ends In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 1 and said projections having vertical grooves my own I have hereto affixed my signature in 5 adapted to engage said ribs, and a cover-slab the presence of two witnesses.

en a 'i'n said side and end slabs with its ou lier edges in alinement with the inner edges ALVIN BRIGHT of said channels, and a cement filling be- Witnesses:

tween the upper edges of said side and end G. E. WILLIAMS,

1o slabs and the outer edges of said cover-slab E. THOMPSON. 

